Major Minus | t.c au

Chapter II

     Soft light illuminated the small room. The glow fell on Joel's face as he pushed himself through the heavy metal door, greeted instantly by dust billowing up into his sweaty face. Scanning the room cautiously, he held up one of his hands to block the dust and light shining in his face at such a convenient time. Nothing was here and that angry frustration began to affect Joel before he spotted something lying in the corner of the room.

     "No FUCKING way." Falling to his knees, Joel snatched up a pistol into his hand, brushing off the layer of dirt from it. Speedy was still standing by the door, sending a few coughs echoing through it. "Is that a gun?" Speedy asked with astonishment, eyeing the weapon as though he were an animal who hadn't eaten in months. Joel got to his feet once again, a look of disgust now on his face. "Yeah, but there's no fucking ammo!" he snarled, throwing the pistol off to the side. Speedy scrambled after it, retrieving it and turning back to his friend. "No no, let's keep it," he insisted. "It may not have ammo, but maybe we can find some? At least we can scare people with the illusion it has ammo," Speedy rambled to Joel, who looked some what convinced at his statement, but shook his head in defiance. "You're stupid, Lucas. Like anyone's gonna run away to two scrawny ass fuckers wielding a single god damn pistol!" Speedy flinched at his harsh words, but stored the useless weapon in his back pocket nonetheless.

     Investigating the small chamber, after three runs of finding only dust inside, the duo concluded on leaving. "Let's make our way-" Joel was unable to finished his sentence and both he and Speedy exited the room. Instead of coming out to a dark, isolated street, the two came face to face with the nozzle of a gun.

     "Get on the ground!" A voice screaming at them, the sound of a gun being locked and loaded sending the men falling to their knees.

     "Please don't shoot us!" Joel cried helplessly, Speedy now feeling tears running down his burning face. Joel continued his pleas and sobs, only to lower it to incoherent muttering when someone began laughing.

      "Fuck, I'm not going to kill you, but your stupid sobbing and crying was fun to watch."

     Looking up slowly, Joel peered at the woman standing before them, her rifle still pointed straight at them. "Get up," She ordered, the two following immediately. Speedy and Joel held their hands up. She said she wouldn't kill them but they had zero trust in her and the gun that was still aimed and ready to shoot them. Taking a few steps back, the woman snorted. "Glad I found you boys before someone else did, nice Purge attire." Joel glared at her but said nothing in return. Catching their attention again, she shifted and pointed her gun at Joel who flinched. "What's your and pony-boy's names?" She questioned.

     Giving a doubtful look towards Speedy, the only thing he got from his scared-shitless friend was only a weak shrug. "Joel and Speedy," he muttered. The woman turned to Speedy, amusement pure on her face. "Speedy? Nice name, Pony boy," she chuckled. Speedy blushed but remained silent still. "Please don't kill us," Joel's eyes were now expressing his fear as he watched the woman. "Kill you? I said I wasn't, that's not my job," she informed them blantly, rolling her eyes. "We've been hanging around too long, let's go, follow me." Directing her orders, she turned and headed down the street, not looking back to see if the two were following.

     "Do you think we can trust her?" Speedy whispered to Joel, his eyes darting forward to see if the woman had reacted or even heard his words. Joel shook his head, unsure. "She trusts us, I don't really know," he whispered. Speedy sighed, heart still racing from the quick event that had just happened. Picking up some pace, he lightly tapped the woman's shoulder. "Um, excuse me ma'am, but what's your name?...And where are you taking us?" Letting out a nervous sigh, he thought she was going to rudely ignore him and continue her way down towards the city skirts. A small smile though twitched on her lips. "My name is Evanne, and i'm taking you to the Safe Place. Don't ask anymore lame questions until we get there, alright Pony Boy?"

     "Aye aye, Captain" Speedy fell back, walking alongside Joel again in awkward silence.

-

     Stirring his tea with a spoon, Speedy took a cautious sip from the white chipped mug. Slowly looking up from it, he watched Evanne as she shouldered off her bullet-proof vest and laid her rifle on the table. Catching his gaze for a moment, he looked away in embarrassment. Evanne sat down in front of him as she went to work opening a can that wasn't labeled.

     "Are you hungry?" She asked him like a gracious hostess. Speedy only shook his head in response, taking another long sip of his tea. For a while the only sound was of Evanne preparing food before Joel reentered the room, plopping himself rather loudly beside his friend. Leaning back into his chair, Joel was the one to break the uneven silence. "If this is a Safe Place for others in the purge, where are the others?" Joel lifted an eyebrow, still skeptical of her actions in giving them refuge.

     "They're all out looking for more dumb shits like you," Evanne replied with a straight face, though Speedy couldn't help but crack an amused smile before he ducked his head to hide his face behind his tea mug. "Alright... So why'd you decide to 'save' us instead of kill us? You had the best-"

     Sighing, Evanne cut him off before he could rant on for too long. She was getting sick and tired of this man's attitude and obnoxious voice already. "I already told you" She started. "That's what we do here. Save people. Not everyone is alright with our government allowing people to kill innocent people." Sitting down with a bowl of pasta, she offered it to Joel. "No thanks," he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

     Speedy gazed into his empty mug, placing it softly of the table. "Thank you," he murmured. "For saving us."

     Evanne shrugged. "Since you two aren't going to eat, follow me." Speedy and Joel exchanged glances before following Evanne into a back room, one littered with many weapons. Evanne grabbed one of the guns laying on the bench, glancing over her shoulder at Speedy. "Know how to shoot a gun, Pony Boy?"

     "Y-yeah" Speedy answered with uncertainty. "Good, you'll need this." Opening his palm, she set the gun in his hand. "It's loaded, so don't be stupid." Joel walked over to her, grabbing an AK47 off the wall, a small grin forming on his face. Evanne tossed him the ammo as she loaded up a glock.

     "Why are you giving us these?" Speedy asked as he nervously turned the gun over in his hands. "If we're safe here, we won't need them right?" Feeling his heart begin to race, he felt an overwhelming sense of dread as to Evanne's reply to his question. No way was he going back out there, no way was he going to shoot this gun either. Joel was now looking at Evanne, awaiting the woman's answer as well.

     "The Purge is unpredictable, guys. This is the Safe Place, and we keep ourselves on the down-low and off Purger's radars, but that doesn't mean they won't find out about us," she informed them. "It's best to keep yourself armed just in case. It's still The Purge... It's still The Purge." Her voice faded as she exited the room, leaving Speedy and Joel to themselves.

     "Also," Speedy jumped as Evanne reappeared in the doorway. "We're going to have to go back out at some point. We're running low on stock this year and it's my job to keep you losers safe and help other losers who get themselves in predicaments." Smiling, she loaded her rifle, and once again Speedy jumped, wishing now that she'd just shot them in the first place and he wouldn't have to suffer this nightmare of running through Purge territory.

   Joel rubbed his shoulder, snapping him out of his frightened thoughts. "I think we can trust her," he told him softly as Evanne walked away.

     "You sure?" Lucas whispered back, his breath shaky. Joel nodded before grabbing a throwing knife and exiting the room himself.